New Mexico Gun Laws
New Mexico is a “Shall Issue” state with concealed carry licenses issued to residents only. The gun laws compared to other states ar fairly liberal and allow a person from another state to transfer their handgun license into a New Mexico license if the concealed carry laws in the other state are similar to New Mexico’s. Open carry is common and legal without a carry license, you only need a license to conceal carry.
New Mexico will honor another states permit if it meets certain conditions set out in section 29.19.12 – Reciprocal Agreements. This statute can be viewed in the laws section of this page but basically it requires the other states requirements for a concealed handgun license to be substantially similar to New Mexico’s or more stringent. This statute also has other requirements which we have not listed here, they can be viewed in the laws section if necessary. Currently there are 24 states that meet New Mexico’s conditions for their concealed handgun license to be honored in NM.
A full list of states with reciprocity agreements with New Mexico is maintained on the NM Department of Public Safety website.
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming
California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington.
District
Washington D.C.
The New Mexico concealed carry license is only required if you want to conceal a firearm on your person. It is legal to open carry a handgun without a license. They are issued for a period of 4 years and as NM is a Shall Issue state the license is easy to obtain if you meet all the requirements. If the license is revoked then the licensee must wait for a period of 2 years before they can apply for a new license.
New Mexico does not issue concealed carry licenses to Non-Residents but they will make exceptions for military personel and their dependants if they are stationed in New Mexico. They also have a law which allows an out of state license to be transferred into a New Mexico license. The application for transfer is made as a renewal application and the applicant will need to provide the following documentation; proof of citizenship proof of residency proof of age a photocopy of the license that is being transferred 10.8.2.17 - License Transfer and renewal
Completion of a training course is required for new license applications and renewals. The renewal course can be taken online and is just a refresher course that takes roughly 2 hours to complete. The initial new application course must be sponsored a college, state or federal law enforcement agency, a firearms training school or a organization that is reconized nationally and approved by the MN Detartment of health and Safety. The course must be at least 15 hours long and provide instruction in the following areas; Safe handling and knowledge of single doubl action revolvers semi automatic handguns. Storage and child safety. Handgun shooting basics Firing range practice. How to maintain handgun skills Laws relating to ownership, purchase and transporting handguns. Ways to avoid an attack. Non-violent dispute resolution. The state website maintains a list of certified instructors.
Follow these steps to obtain a permit
NM Department of Public Safety
SID/Concealed Carry Unit
6301 Indian School Rd. NE Suite 310
Albuquerque, NM 87110
You will be notified by mail if your application has been approved.
| Application Conditions | Original | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $100 (includes $56 fee + $44 fingerprint fee) | $75 |
| Instructor | $44 (for fingerprints) | $0 |
| Duplicate/Modification | $10 |
Download the required application form, you will find the application at the end of the document which mainly consists of an overview of the laws in the first section. This form is also used for license renewals. Other forms included in the application package are; Authorization for Health Information, Authorization for Release of Information, and a Replacment Application.
Places listed as off limits apply even if you have a New Mexico license to carry.
Note: New Mexico law states that a person may only carry ONE CONCEALED handgun at a time. You are permitted to carry more than one handgun but only one can be concealed on your person. This law does not apply to handguns carried in vehicles.
New Mexico state capitol building
| Subject | Handguns | Long Guns | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carry permit required | Yes* | No | *You only need a permit to conceal carry, open carry is legal with no permit. Policy is Shall Issue but operates as a limited Unrestricted state. |
| Purchase permit required | No | No | |
| Registration of firearm | No | No | |
| Open carry allowed | Yes | Yes | No permit required. |
| Background checks on private gun sales required | No | No | |
| Magazine size restriction | No | No |
No law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes, but nothing herein shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons. No municipality or county shall regulate, in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms.
New applications and renewals can be mailed to the address below or taken directly to the office.
Monday – Friday 7am – 5pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
Address 6301 Indian School Rd NE Ste. 310
City Albuquerque, NM 87110
Phone (505) 841 -8053
Email NMCC.Questions@state.nm.us
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